Windows 7 to bring multi-touch support

Microsoft plans to push multi-touch interfaces in a big way with Windows 7. At the Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital conference yesterday evening, Microsoft discussed some of the progress it has made on its next operating system, and it showed the multi-touch functionality in action. Behold:

Windows 7 won’t be the first Microsoft product to implement multi-touch features. Nearly a year ago today, Microsoft unveiled its Surface table, a PC with a huge touch screen designed to serve in retail stores, hotels, restaurants, and similar venues. Surface debuted in AT&T wireless stores last month.

According to Chris Flores from the Windows Vista Team Blog, Microsoft wants to see multi-touch functionality on “a wide variety of Windows notebooks, in all-in-one PC’s, as well as in external monitors.” That vision may come true in 2010, when Microsoft plans to complete work on Windows 7.

Vista RTM and newer has all of those nifty features in it UI, albeit refined and optimized.

(They are really sidebar gadgets)

Meadows

11 years ago

I see, so the more extensive use of 3D (look at the user account picture spinning on the login screen), the refined photo folders (well animated photo cluster movements, page flip effects, what have you) and several other feats are just “sidebar gadgets”. Watch the movie instead.

I would’ve liked those included, too. Even without those, Vista’s pretty I suppose, but that would’ve been kickass and no less.

Krogoth

11 years ago

The “extra” folder animations were removed, because it most likely needed “gasp” too much performance for their targeted market. It most likely yielded too many problems to justify its existence from beta user tests.

The other stuff in the movie was gadget tools on the sidebar. You can find most of them online as well.

MattMojo

11 years ago

The concept was great but most people complain already about Windows bloat and that would have been no less bloat and more complaining because the general public can’t afford high priced PCs — bla, bla , bla….

I for one, love Vista. I have it on my main monster as well as my Dell XPS laptop and my HTPC w/ blue-ray. All run Vista great and wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Matter of fact, I dis-like using my computer at work because it feels so boring using XP. Although I plan on moving it to Vista soon.

I would have welcomed the extra bloat and smooth features of that concept.

Mojo

[SDG]Mantis

11 years ago

Welcome to the 15.4″ iPhone. Maybe that will have a virtual keyboard large enough for my fingers.

Seriously, this sounds like a great way to have a scratched display unless you develop a very tough coating for it. That might be OK if you have a mouse pad like external input device. But there are situations (projector use for instance) where you can’t have feedback from the display directly…unless you add some serious sensor ability to the projector itself (or, again, have some external sensor capability). That’s within current technical ability…and really isn’t all that useful in a practical sense at this point (though that may change with time).

thecoldanddarkone

11 years ago

Depending on the tablet the lcd does have a tough coating. A person could always use a screen protector. I’ve typed on an lcd and I’ll say that it sucks. I don’t like it at all. A regular keyboard is far superior when typing compared to virtual keyboard. It’s not the speed of the touch that is the problem, it’s the fact your typing on a flat surface.

I own a latitude xt for references.

You could control the projector by using the tablet in clone mode.

Krogoth

11 years ago

What is the point?

Touch-support is already mature enough in areas where it belongs and is greatly appreciated.

I still think that “Surface” is just an idea that will never will take off in the mainstream market. It is an interesting niche concept though.

Mystic-G

11 years ago

Pointless features ftw.

MattMojo

11 years ago

I’ve tried some of the multi-touch software with webcams and it is not quite as straight-forward as it would seem. I for one, it seems, may be the only one here that is excited about direct os implementation of multi touch whether it be MS or open source. To have os integrated abilities will launch a huge amount of stuff to the arena.

I can see how this could be useful with a Wii whiteboard kind of input. The prohibitive cost of LCD projectors with decent resolution is the main obstacle to consumer multi-touch use. Combined with some good gesture UI, this could really streamline alot of PC usage. It could also make for some fun multi-user collaborative or competitive apps/games. Too bad this is all being done already using hacks/mods of existing hardware/software.

axeman

11 years ago

Cool, now if only they would invent some sort of hand-held device that could increase accuracy, and keep the screen clear of fingerprints. Hmmm….

DrDillyBar

11 years ago

I think the touch technology is just the coolest thing I’ve seen since I got a 3rd button on my mouse. Now they just need fairly cheap 24″ touchable WFP’s or a glorified wacom tablet for the mainstream or something so I don’t have to buy that table/tablet.
I’d also like to point out that it’s great that when TR links a video to the frontpage, the thing ACTUALLY works unlike some [other] sites I frequent.

albundy

11 years ago

Sorry, but nothing can replace my 24 incher. I refuse to “touch” it.

Jigar

11 years ago

Second that, i wouldn’t like to hurt my LCD’s pixel.

Meadows

11 years ago

I didn’t know that one supports touch sensing, can you link the monitor?

Cova

11 years ago

Windows has supported multiple pointers for a long time now – this isn’t news, just marketing BS. There’s nothing new at the OS level at all in that video – just some new hardware that can detect multiple touches, and a new photo app that knows what to do with multiple pointers. IMO the news so far about Windows 7 is that they’ve dropped the new streamlined “minwin” kernel for a Vista-based one, end of story. One feature down, and no other new ones announced yet.

joshkraker

11 years ago

The only way I would ever use something like that is if they made a lay-down, slim lcd touch screen the same dimensions as a keyboard.. See where I’m going with this?

For normal operation, the lcd would display a virtual keyboard with some sort of force feedback vibration when you touch a key. Then, for applications where the touch interface would be more efficient, the ‘virtual keys’ would be overridden and touches instead manipulate the object on a normal monitor..

herothezero

11 years ago

Does anyone else completely not care about touch functionality?

Usacomp2k3

11 years ago

*raises hand*

Meadows

11 years ago

That piano application is particularly useless. I see why it doesn’t even have an icon for the executable.

ssidbroadcast

11 years ago

shave and a haircut…

axeman

11 years ago

I’ve yet to see a touch screen that works well with one touch reliably, nevermind two. More useless feature bloat.

Meadows

11 years ago

Ah, so “bloat” is a sort of substitute word for many other things now. Finally, I see why people said Vista is full of “bloat” too.

bthylafh

11 years ago

“Bloated”, as in your opinion of yourself.

axeman

11 years ago

This was not directed at Vista, don’t take such offense, it’s just an observation about the state of software in general these days. About the only thing not suffering from feature bloat is notepad.exe

danny e.

11 years ago

indeed. i couldnt care less about many of the things that they seem to want to push. why dont they just get a nice stable 64 bit O/S that is customizable and listens to the user

echo_seven

11 years ago

Seeing that video gave me some very mixed feelings. On one hand, I look at it, and I think, “this is the future”. There is something magical and natural about the idea of directly controlling the computer with your hands that just screams that.

On the other hand, you guys are right, for 90% of the applications out there, the mouse/keyboard combo is just….better. It does everything faster and with less fatigue on your hands/arms. Why is my natural intuition defied in this way? Why is the mouse/KB so damned good???

Maybe it’s because everything is still in 2D. When/if we ever go to 3D holographic displays, maybe then the hands will have a chance.

Meadows

11 years ago

We’ve seen this before. The only novelty I recognise is different applications used.

ssidbroadcast

11 years ago

It drives me nuts when someone else touches my laptop screen. A UI that begs me to do so goes against every grain of my tech-nerd body. That’s like asking me to drag my fingernails across a chalkboard.

TheEmrys

11 years ago

I agree whole-heartedly. Its a major pet peeve of mine.

ludi

11 years ago

I’ve got a coworker I would love to spring this on. He’s constantly jabbing his LCD in order to identify on-screen objects, and after several weeks of this, the poor thing looks like it suffered a coordinated attack by an elite Day Care Assault Team. It would be really funny to get his reaction when his applications started responding to this abuse.